Monday, July 21, 2008

Remember the refrigerator fiasco with Sears? Well, Lori decided while I was gone, to cut the plug off the old one and wire it to the new part and plug it in. It works. She swears she wrapped it with enough electric tape. I'm just sayin........Lord help me.

Moving on.....we decided to change out the pool liner. (The Dobermans tried to swim in it and ripped it. We have patched it so many times and it still has slow leaks. Plus it is aproximately 14 years old and very light blue.) Well, turns out the walls were rusted pretty bad and in one place almost a crack...need I say more? Yep, we are slowly building another pool here. Lori has worked on it for two days. Wish me luck. I'm not saying she isn't smart enough....I'm just saying, it takes a certain degree of skill. It remains to be seen if she possess this. I know one thing. I don't possess the patience to watch. My back yard looks like a missle testing site and we are arguing over the color of the frickin sand. She said it was black under the liner. Well, I watched the men pour the white sand in when it was built because it stops grass, etc from growing up through your liner. My guess was that the black dirt got washed under there because of the leaks in the liner. She's telling me the installers had to have used black dirt. Again, she wasn't here 16 plus years ago but, that doesn't seem to matter. I wonder if other people go through this? It so makes me look forward to family projects.Bahahahahahahaha

Monday, July 14, 2008

...but so is most of the old South. Beleive it or not, I shortened the following article:

A state employee has resigned and officials have disavowed an international advertising campaign that led to calls for an investigation of tourism posters proclaiming “South Carolina is so gay.”

Similar ads were posted for Atlanta, Boston, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Washington, D.C., none of which reported any negative backlash. But in South Carolina, reaction to the posters — dubbed “the gayest ever mainstream media advertising campaign in London” by Out Now, the Australian advertising firm that designed the promotion — was swift.

The tourism department quickly said it was canceling payment of its $5,000 fee for the posters, which it said were approved by a low-level state worker who did not run the idea by senior officials. The employee, who was not identified, resigned last week, the agency said.

A spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford, who has been mentioned as a possible running mate for the Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, said the governor agreed that the posters were “inappropriate.”

“From where we sit, and for all our many customers, being described as ‘so gay’ is not a negative thing at all. We think it is just great to be so gay,” said Andrew Roberts, (chief executive of Amro Worldwide, the travel agency that commissioned the ads) who called the campaign a success, having reached more than 2 million people in London.

Oran Smith, president of the Palmetto Family Council, a conservative activist group in Columbia, the state capital, said that at first he thought the ads were an Internet hoax.

“I think with today’s economy, we have to be really smart with our tourism dollars, and South Carolina’s market, very clearly, is the family-friendly market,” Smith said. “So if we want to spend our dollars in a way that’s wise, we need to go after our market, and our market is families.”

Eddie Walker, principal of Irmo High School, in suburban Columbia, announced that he was quitting rather than approve the creation of a Gay-Straight Alliance at the school, one of the state’s largest.

“Our sex education curriculum is abstinence based,” Walker wrote in a letter to the school. “I feel the formation of a Gay/Straight Alliance Club at Irmo High School implies that students joining the club will have chosen to or will choose to engage in sexual activity with members of the same sex, opposite sex, or members of both sexes.”

Such attitudes remain prevalent in the state, said Warren Redman-Gress, executive director of the South Carolina Alliance for Full Acceptance, a gay and lesbian advocacy group.

He stated: I wish the folks at the tourism board had done a little more of their homework. I get calls regularly, people want to know before I come and spend my hard-earned money, my souvenir dollars in South Carolina, is it a place where it is OK for me to be gay? The answer is yes and no. You live on the edge with the simple fact that you can come to South Carolina, spend your money getting here, and someone can come in and say, ‘I’m sorry; you can’t stay here because you’re gay.’”

My Grandson will stop whatever he is doing and stare at this show. He loves it. To the point that when he would start to get cranky or restless on vacation, we would start singing the song and he would stop, listen, smile and clap.

Well, we finally have it up and running! The Wii that is. Lori actually was awarded one like months ago for having the highest sells. Turns out, they were on back order and so she had to wait to get it. In the meantime, we picked up a Wii Fit (which was hard to do since EVERY place is out and they seem to disappear about ten minutes after the retailers get them). We had been calling daily to about seven different stores and finally on Friday got lucky. So we picked up the console yesterday, created our little Wii Mee's and played tennis last night. Haven't tackled the Wii Fit yet. I'll probably be in traction once I do.

I go this week to have my hips x-rayed. Been having a lot of problems with them lately. The pain wakes me up at night and I can't sleep on either side for very long. Not sure if the herniated disc is pulling my muscles and tendons out of alignment or if I have just over stressed my joints. As usual, with me, it could be half a dozen of one thing and six of the other. I also have my yearly (as Lori puts it, my eight-yearly exam) appointment with the gynecologist. I hate that more than a rootcanal! I'm not really sure why. I'm not modest or anything but, I think it's more of a mental thing. The fear that they will find something always freaks me out. Kind of like with a mammogram. Although, I do those regularly, so go figure.

Also, Lori bought a cage for our handicapped cat Luna. She was deprived of oxygen as a kitten and well, she isn't all there if you know what I mean. As she gets older, she seems to be having memory issues. Unfortunately, the cage wasn't big enough. It was like three levels, on wheels even and very pretty. Black with bright green shelves. Unfortunately, it was more for a ferret than a grown cat, so back it goes. This distresses me because I really wanted to get the whole Luna situation taken care of. She has missed the litter box so many times, I am going to have to tile our hallway.

Picked up the chest of drawers we had ordered from Ashley Furniture on Friday as well. I am now totally rearranging the closet and it has bled over into redoing the drawers in the wall cabinets on the bed. Basically the bedroom looks like a bomb went off in it. From the looks of it, we should have bought TWO chest of drawers.

The hospital where I had my surgery, (by the way, saw my doctor last Monday before I left town and I am down 54 pounds) collected the money up front from me for my share of everything including anesthesia. Only thing is, they never PAID the Anesthesiologist. So I have been after them since the second week in April to send me a refund so I could pay them. The Anesthesiologist's office was very nice and said this happens all the time. Whew! Good thing because most are ready to send a person to collections after about 90 days. But, the check finally arrived last week while I was gone so now their check is in the mail. But can you believe it took at least two phone calls a week every week since about April 7th to get a frickin over payment returned?! Yet if I had owed the hospital that money, I would have been served with papers by the end of May! Unbelievable.

I was reading about there being a new trend out there called CASH CARE. Apparently this is where the hospitals are asking for upfront payments from patients with long term, costly conditions such as cancer or heart disease that may be life-threatening but aren't classified as medical emergencies. In the article, this guy had learned he had a mass in his neck and that it was malignant. His doctor sent him to a local cancer center where they told him it would take like $30,000. worth of treatment and they needed $20,000. upfront. He didn't have it because he had just shelled out over $273,000 in out of pocket costs for his wife's care for ovarian cancer. His insurance didn't cover it because she had cancer when he enrolled her. Basically, he lost all his money trying to save her and she passed away. He doesn't qualify for charity care because he has about $10,000. in a 401k. So he is basically as of the writing of the article, out of luck. Oh, and he had already lost his home and was living in a trailer on a friend's property. Nice future, eh? This is scary stuff. I mean, when is it going to change? Something needs to be done to get some laws passed that prevent these insurance companies from collecting outrageous premiums and then giving minimal care. The fact that people in this country can actually die because they can't pay for care that is available (which is over priced so the doctor's can become rich) is a national disgrace. Not to mention the poor woman who died in the ER from a blood clot last week after waiting for 24 hours to be seen. You need about two hundred doctors in an ER setting so that when people come in they are rushed right in to see A doctor. Kind of like in China and other places where doctors are expected to do their jobs and not focus on the dollar sign. Maybe that is the answer. Just have everyone do what they are suppose to do in the first place. Treat the sick, the dying and the infirmed.

Monday, July 7, 2008

WHOA!! Well, I see that my blogger is fixed! I have been unable to blog because my entire toolbar, etc., was missing. I know, makes no sense but, it was gone. Okay, so where to start??!

Saturday June 28th was Gay Pride Festival in St Petersburg. Lori had to work so I drove over real early so I could get a close place to park. I was there so early that I watched the vendors freaking over things like power cords, extension cords, booth space, etc., Then one of Dane's friends met up with me and we waited in front of the booth my church MCC of Tampa was sharing. They didn't put up a booth on their own which was what I thought they were doing but, it worked out great. They joined with the two other churches and had a float in the parade. It was titled: Would Jesus Discriminate. They also had T-shirts with that on them, of which I bought one. Thought it would come in handy at some point.

There was a crowd of protestors. I think the newspaper said it was a small group. They left off how loud they were. Very conservative evangelical types. Telling us we were all going to burn in hell and were damned. Then they called some us names which I didn't hear but heard others saying that it wasn't right for them to do that and call themselves Christian, etc., I pretty much ignored them. I mean, they are their own kind of freak. Most conventional churches would probably call them extreme as well. Rev Phyllis Hunt said at the Sunday service the following day, that a lot of people approached the float and thanked the church for being there and how they handled the protestors. I mean, that float and shirt said a lot without literally saying it. The only issue I had was with this one protestor who was seperate from the others. He looked like a war veteran. He didn't have any legs, was riding in a motorized wheel chair with an American Flag flying, carrying a giant sign that said "Gay WHAT?" I don't know but that bothered me most of all. I've always heard from breeders how we are suppose to thank these men and women in the armed services for protecting our rights here. And I've always done that. Now here comes this one guy and it was as if he were saying, I didn't do this for any of you because you don't deserve it. I didn't talk to him and he didn't speak that I know of. Just kept riding up and down by the vendors.

I did take a few pictures. I thought I would take a lot but, I turned into a beads whore and well, you just can't do both. Also, I am computer challenged and I still haven't figured out the whole 'post a shitton of pics' capability yet.

The Dykes on Bykes

I have tried to finish this post numerous times and thanks to the lightening strikes, it has been a slow process.

I went with my son and his family on a short mini vacation last week and was able to spend real quality time with my Grandson Jullian. I have to say that guy has energy! He is now 16 months old and walks with a little attitude. Totally cracks me up. We spent all day Thursday at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon and he actually liked the wave pool. Of course he was near the shore and we held him but, he wasn't scared or anything. His bad habit is that he has become a screamer. A high pitched screamer. This is not out of anger mind you. He just likes to scream. Unfortunately, my ears can no longer duplicate that particular pitch. It's not as high as a little girl but it could break glass if left to continue. lol I came home Thursday night just in time to attend a concert at church by the MCC of San Francisco Chorus. They were making history and on their way to Miami to compete in GALA. The first gay and lesbian chorus to be chosen to compete. They were truly amazing.

Let's see, what else. Oh, we finally bought a chest of drawers and had it delivered yesterday. And Lori was able to fix the fan on the frig by herself with the part Sears sent. She swears the house isn't going to burn down with her wiring skills.

We also bought a cage for our retarded cat Luna. Oh, and I saved this for last because I know SOME people will say mean things and I feel safe that they won't read this far...Someone hit a cat in our neighborhood. Turns out it was a mother cat and her four babies were in the backyard of the vacant house next to us so guess what? We have been feeding them with an eye dropper and they are now prety fat little balls of fur. I'm not going to say anything more about them least I incriminate myself but, I will say their names are Cali, Tiger Lily, Keeko and Socks. The black and white one is Socks and the one in the back is Keeko

This is Cali- very passive and purrs a lot.

And last but not least is Tiger Lily.

Okay, well, this has become ridiculousy long so, I am going to go to bed pretty soon here. I will try to post more tomorrow but, then, you know how I am. It may be a week from tomorrow.

About Me

Born in Tampa to Puerto Rican parents, adopted at the age of four months. Found birth family when I was 16. Have two grown sons and recently became a Grandmother. Came out when I was 21 years old. Have been with my life partner since December 28, 1994 and it just keeps getting better. Any more than that would be to much info.